Dixon's Saving Grace
by Moibeal
Summary: The nylon tent Daryl slept in did nothing to keep the harsh, bitter, cold from seeping into his bones. They were going to die this winter if they didn't find somewhere to bed down. He knew that – he had no false sense of hope that they would survive much longer with the temperature constantly dropping. They would either freeze to death or starve, if they weren't eaten.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Sorry I forgot this when I first posted. Any recognizable character, plot ideas, or settings, I do not take credit. I only take claim for original ideas and character. I do not make a profit off my work nor do I own any of it. Even though I wish I had Daryl Dixon.

Chapter One:

The large oak provided enough cover for Ayden to watch the small campsite. A day of hunting had never been this exciting. These where the first new people she had seen in months – sure she had her little sister and nephew back at the house and the Bates family, who lived twelve miles away, but these were strangers. The thought made her excited and nervous all at once.

Before the apocalypse, Ayden had been a nurse and student. She had grown up in a small town in North Carolina. Her brother had moved out to Georgia after he finished his doctorate at Carolina – environmental science or something like that, it didn't really matter now. She had just moved out here, living over his garage in the small loft apartment, and her sister, Emily, had been visiting with him when everything went to hell.

His house was off the grid, fueled by clean energy and well water. He always talked how it would be their saving grace in the future – little did he know. He and his wife had been at the local hospital when the outbreak happened . . . he never got to see how his environmental ways saved his two sisters and son.

She had stumbled onto the group early in the morning; the first rays of light hadn't even risen. The man with a crossbow never saw her as she climb up the tree. He still hadn't spotted her against the foliage around the camouflage with she wore. She was so grateful she didn't have Em's bleach blonde hair for once. Ayden's dark brown hair didn't draw attention to her hiding spot.

When the sun began to rise the group slowly started stirring. She counted five men including the crossbow wielding one, three women, a young girl, and a boy. She watched as one of the men started a fire and they huddled around to try and get warm. She couldn't tell from this far away if they were malnourished or if it was the light from the fire and dawn casting shadows. But she knew in her heart it had to be the latter. Many weren't as lucky as she had been.

Once they had their small rations of something in a can. She couldn't hear them but she could see the man who was on watch talk to another man who was dressed in a cop uniform? Doesn't he know there isn't any sense of law anymore? No way to uphold it – what was he going to do, catch a criminal and feed it to a cadaver?

Ayden watched as Crossbow and Sheriff went over to the rest. They all sat for a while before splitting up in different directions, no one on their own. The Sheriff and Crossbow went deeper into the woods, while two of the women took baskets of laundry to the east to an area Ayden knew where a creek was. The older gentleman and the black man went north to the highway, while the woman with dark long hair and the Asian man stayed at camp with the young girl and the boy.

She watched as the long haired woman gathered the cans and rinsed them in a bucket of water while the two younger ones sat at a fold out picnic table with books stern across it. The Asian man stood on the top of the SUV with a rifle, obviously keeping watch.

She watched the small group until she felt the cold start to set in her stiff muscles. She knew she would have to head back. It was mid-October and even though she couldn't know exactly what the weather was going to do, her father's old barometer had indicated a drop in pressure, which normal meant a storm front was probably coming.

She knew she couldn't leave these people out here. They would either get washed out from this storm, possible freeze to death when the temperature dropped more, or get eating by the walking cadavers. She didn't think she could live with that on her conscious, not when they had a child with them.

She noticed Crossbow and Sheriff before the others did. The young boy ran to them when he saw them, beaming eagerly at Sheriff, whom Ayden assumed was the boy's father, and looked hungrily at Crossbow's belt where three or four dead squirrels hung.

Ayden winced as she looked at the thin squirrels and she knew she wasn't going to leave without offering a new place to stay. They weren't gonna make it much longer not without more food and with winter rearing its ugly head. From what she had observed all day, they weren't a threat.

Slowly she climbed down the tree and when her feet hit the ground with a crunch of the dead leaves. "What was that?" She heard a woman's shaky voice.

The sound of running feet, sticks and dry leaves crunching under heavy footfall. She turned around quickly, yanking the bow from her shoulders smoothly and drew and arrow just as Crossbow came into her vision, his weapon at the ready. He stopped dead in his tracks seeing Ayden standing there, her own bow draw. Sheriff followed him quickly, gun drawn and pointing at the ground. His eyes displayed his shock clearly.

Ayden lowered her bow and slowly released the tension in the string and set the weapon down on the ground before reaching around to her back for her quiver.

"Stop! Dontcha move." Crossbow growled out. Ayden held her hands out in front of her.

"Relax, I was just gonna drop the quiver, Hotshot. I have a knife on my left hip and a pistol strapped at my left ankle." She nodded to her left side. Crossbow reached out and took the quiver from her shoulder and grabbed the other two weapons from her.

"How do we know you ain't lying, hmm?" His voice was gruff against her ear. His warm breath tickled against her neck.

"You can check me if you want," She raised an eyebrow and licked her lips, staring at him with a challenging look.

"Daryl, ease up. She's unarmed." Sheriff commanded. "I am sorry, Miss?"

"Ayden, Ayden Lawson." She let her hands drop to her side and she stuck out her hand for the Sheriff's.

He smiled softly and accepted her greeting. "Rick Grimes and the hotshot is Daryl. Sorry about the treatment ma'am but you can't be too careful now days." She nodded her head in agreement.

"Didn't mean to startle you but I had to know you guys weren't dangerous. Ten against one isn't that fair." Ayden grinned at the two of them. "You gonna take that crossbow out of my face, Pretty boy?" Daryl made a face at the nickname but lowered the crossbow and handed her the items he took off of her.

"How long have yah been up in that tree bitch?" He took a few swaggering steps away from her, cocking his head to the side.

"Since before dawn, stumbled upon y'all this morning when I was hunting. Like I said, I had to know you weren't dangerous, numskull." She growled out at the harsh name Daryl called her.

"Now, now, I know you must be hungry or at least thirsty," Rick said stepping in between the two before one lunged at the other.

"Yeah, that's all we need boss, another fuckin' mouth to feed." Daryl grumbled loud enough for both her and Rick to hear.

Rick lead them over to the campsite where he introduced Ayden to Lori, Carl, Carol, Beth, Maggie, and Glenn. T-Dog and Hersel hadn't gotten back from the highway yet. One of their cars had broken down a week ago and they were having trouble finding the part to fix it.

Ayden accepted a glass of stale boiled water but refused any food. She listened to Carl as he talked constantly about how many walkers he had killed. She couldn't believe he had seen so much as his age. Her sister was fourteen and had barely seen the freaks they called Walkers.

"Rick! Daryl! Everybody! There is a new truck parked about five miles down the…." T-Dog and Hersel came running up to camp out of breath, trying to stay quite as they described Ayden's truck. T-Dog trailed off when he saw the new girl sitting there at the campsite. Rick looked at her questioningly.

"It's mine. Hi, I'm Ayden. Stumbled across y'all hunting this morning." She shook T-Dog and Hersel's hands.

"Yeah, hanging in a tree for six hours like a god damn monkey," Daryl growled, furiously whittling on a stick. Ayden cut her eyes at him. He was ruggedly handsome for sure and if he had a shower and cleaned up, no doubt, but his personality was horrendous.

"Like I told them, I had to make sure your group wasn't a threat, ten against one." Hersel and T-Dog nodded their understanding.

"How big is the group you are with?" Carol asked delicately after glaring at Daryl at his harsh behavior to the newcomer.

"Not much of a group actually, it's just me, my sister, and our nephew. We live in a house about twenty miles down the road." Ayden shrugged taking a sip of water. Daryl picked his head up from the arrow.

"West of here?" Rick asked perplexed. "We drove from that way. It's all woods land."

Ayden smiled a small secretive smile, "Yeah I guess it would look that way to someone who isn't looking for the path. The house sits about three maybe four miles in a clearing. It was my brother's. He and his wife were very private people."

"They're gone, aren't they?" Lori inquired gently. The young girl nodded her head.

"Just Em, Luke, and me left." Ayden smiled sadly, she could see the compassion on everyone's face, even Daryl's – they all knew what it felt like to lose someone.

The group was silent for a moment and Carol stood and walked over to Ayden and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly. Ayden looked up to the sky and saw the deep oranges from a sunset start to appear. She stood up, whipping her hands on her pants, and looked to each, gaunt, dirty face of the group.

"Look, I have to get going. Em's young – fourteen, and Luke's only eighteen months. I need to get back to them soon. The temperature is steadily drop and so has the pressure – a storm's coming. I know y'all can take care of yourselves but I'd feel a lot better if you came back to the house with me." Everyone looked startled at the offer. Rick began to protest, claiming they would be fine.

"Oh come off it, it's the end of hurricane season and we haven't had one yet. With how hard the wind has been blowing the last few days, I think we are gonna get one. Y'all can stay until it blows over or longer. At least y'all will be out of the rain and wind. I have electricity, hot running water, and enough food and space." At the mention of hot water everyone looked at Rick practically begging.

"How?" Daryl asked, his eyes showing his disbelief. His grip on the hunting knife he was using had gone tight, furious at the thought that Ayden could be lying, leading them into a trap.

She seemed like an okay girl – been through hell, maybe not in the sense they had, but she looked barely over the age of twenty – five and here she was, surviving and taking care of a teenager and a baby. But he still didn't trust her – it maybe because of the fact he barely trusted anyone or it could be because she was so kind, almost too innocent for this new world – like she had barely been touched by the Walkers.

"My brother was a 'Save the Environment' type of guy. When he bought the house he rigged it up so it runs completely on solar energy. The water comes from an underground well."

This sounds to fuckin' good to be true, Daryl thought bitterly.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Sorry I forgot this when I first posted. Any recognizable character, plot ideas, or settings, I do not take credit. I only take claim for original ideas and character. I do not make a profit off my work nor do I own any of it. Even though I wish I had Daryl Dixon.

Chapter 2

Daryl help Rick load his bike into the back of Ayden's truck and they packed the rest of the gear into the back with it. Daryl still was weary about this haven stuck in the middle of the woods but Monkey had them hooked with hot water. When Rick left to make sure everyone that could filled up the space in the SUV, Daryl cornered the girl.

He grabbed her one of her wrist and swung her around to face him before grabbing the other one and pinning both in one hand at the top of her ass. The position caused her chest to be pushed flush against his – her eyes widened from shock but then a sneer curled on her lip and she cut her eyes at him. Daryl Dixon knew if looks could kill, he would be six feet under and no coming back.

"Listen to me you fucking little lemur, these people are the closest thing I have to family. If you are leading them into any sort of a trap, I swear, I will kill you. I'll make it slow and painful, string you up, cut you open, and watch Walkers fuckin' feast. You got that." He whispered viciously into her ear.

Daryl watched as her eyes soften instead of growing wide with fear. "Daryl," she said softly. Her voice carcasses his ears, empathy flowed through the two syllables of his name. "I am not pulling anything, I swear. And if you let me go now, I won't hold this against you – you'd do anything to protect them, wouldn't you?" He let her go and pushed away roughly.

He glared at her before climbing to the passenger seat of her truck and slamming the door. Ayden leaned against the bed of the truck and closed her eyes. When Carol walked up and put a hand on her shoulder, Ayden jumped and looked at the older woman fearfully.

"He's not all that bad." She said softly, patting Ayden's shoulder. "He's been through a lot in his life, he doesn't trust very easily. I think it is hard for him to believe there are still people who would do what you are doing for us."

The younger girl let out a shaky breath, nodded, and smiled gently at Carol before walking around to the driver's side door. T-Dog, Daryl, Carol, and Glenn were riding with her back to the house. She made sure Rick had gotten turned around alright before starting the twenty mile drive back home.

The group had been driving for a little while when Ayden took a chance to take everyone in. Daryl was leaning against the window, watching as the scenery past. Carol was hunched up between Glenn and T-Dog, rubbing her arms with her hands.

"Carol, are you cold?" Ayden asked. The older woman smile and nodded sheepishly. Cutting on the heat, Ayden just smiled back at her. When the blast of hot air filled the truck, everybody seemed to visibly relax.

"So Ayden, how old are you?" Glenn was like a little boy, bouncing with excitement, from the heat and prospect of having a solid roof over their heads. Daryl picked his head up from the window and looked at the young girl, waiting on her answer.

"I'm twenty-one." She watched as all their eyes went wide. Daryl looking almost sympathetic – yes she was young but she didn't need his pity, she was doing just fine with what life had thrown at her.

"'Ere's a shock. How are yah dealing taking with of a teenager and kid?" She looked at him flabbergasted. How was she dealing? Like she had an option, the teenager was her kid sister, and the kid was her baby nephew. What was she supposed to do abandon them?

"I am not dealing. I am doing – they are all I got. There was no option for me not to take care of them." She said a bit more harshly than she intended to, but she was offended that he would think that she would abandon her family.

"I didn't mean to 'fend yah. I just am sayin' don't it make it hard to survive – looking out for a brat and a tyke?" He was looking at her so seriously.

"Do you have a sibling Daryl?" He straightened up and glared at her.

"Yah, what's that got to do with this?" the tone of his voice was distant.

"Would you leave them, if you had a chance, would you?" She looked at him with soft eyes.

"No." His answer was adamant and quick. She could see as the understanding passed through him. He gave her an appraising look before turning back to the window.

Ayden and the rest of the small group in the car made small talk for the rest of the ride. She could see Daryl in her peripheral vision, pick his head up when someone asked a question he was interested in, but then he would just lay his head back against the glass when it was answered.

Daryl listened as Glenn, T-Dog, and Carol asked about Monkey's life before this hell – she was a nurse, a student, soccer player, just moved here, the second oldest of four, her father was a farmer, mother was an local artist back home, she was taught everything she knew by her da'. She was your typical girl next door.

It was close to dark when they finally pulled up to a stone house in middle of a clearing – solar panels glinting off the roof and in the yard. The place was huge, she wasn't kidding when she said she'd have enough room for them.

Daryl had always dreamed having a house like this, well maybe a bit, a lot smaller but one set away from everything and everyone.

He noticed as the door at the top of the steps swung open and a young girl with bleach blonde hair came out with a toddler on her hip. She made her way down the stairs quickly before she set the small boy on the grass and watched as he giggled and toddled to the truck.

"Home sweet home!" Ayden looked at everyone with a small smile. Before opening the door and jumping out, sweeping the young boy up in her arms and giving him a kiss on his cheek.

Daryl felt his heart constrict at the display of affection. He wasn't comfortable watching the display and quickly hoped out of the truck and going to the back to grab everyone's gear.

"A.D.? Who are these people?" Daryl watched as the blonde girl came up to Money and the tyke, keeping her distance from the growing group. He scoffed, and started pulling bag after bag from around his bike.

Daryl heard Rick call him over to meet the kids but he just threw a hand up in greeting and finished doing what he was doing. When the women went inside, most likely dying to get under the hot water the monkey promised, Rick came over to him and sighed wearily.

"Can you at least try and get along with her? She didn't have to do this." Daryl felt slightly chastised from the soft disappointed tone in his 'brother's' voice.

"I just don't get it – how have they survived out here boss? I mean, sure she hunts, but she acts like she's never been around any bad – they are too fuckin' innocent to have survived this long. It just doesn't sit right." He grumbled to Rick biting at the skin around his thumbnail.

"We don't know what they have been through, Daryl. Just be grateful she is sharing this with us." Rick sighed again and grabbed a few of the bags and walked inside.

Daryl waited until T-Dog, Hersel, and Glenn grabbed what they could, before he made his way up the stairs of the house. Monkey sat in a rocking chair, looking quite smug with herself.

"I told you I wasn't pulling anything," Her voice was quiet. He set down the bags he was carrying and walked over to her with the idea of what he really thought. "Wait, before you say anything – I get why you don't trust me. What person in their right mind would open their house up to a group of complete strangers?" He nodded and cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I know you think I am naïve, but I'm not. When I found y'all I was so overwhelmed – I didn't know whether or not to be terrified by the amount of people or be thrilled that you were alive and not Walkers. I haven't seen new people in months – the people that weren't infected, fled. There is only us and another family up the road maybe twelve or fifteen miles away. That's why I sat in that tree for so long." She sighed and looked at him full on – conflict written all over her face.

"I couldn't decide if I should make myself known, offer you this," she gestured around her. "Or if I should just leave. You all were armed, and considering you can kill a squirrel with a crossbow – I know you are a good shot. I only made my decision when I saw how happy Carl was when he saw you had brought back three squirrels back to a camp for ten people. I knew then I couldn't leave without offering." She gave him a half smile and stood up.

"I am not playing any game, Daryl. I just couldn't live with the thought of everyone starving or getting hurt in the next few days, knowing I could have done something about it." She turned and walked into the kitchen the warm smell of chicken and rice soup wafted out the door.

Daryl watched as she went inside – maybe he was being too harsh on the girl. She was doing the right thing by them and she was lonely. She admitted she hadn't seen anyone new in the last few months other than her sister and the other family.

'I'll be civil,' he thought but he wasn't gonna let his guard down for one second.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Any recognizable character, plot ideas, or settings, I do not take credit. I only take claim for original ideas and character. I do not make a profit off my work nor do I own any of it. Even though I wish I had Daryl Dixon.

The heat of the hot water on his tense muscles pulled a strangled moan out of Daryl's mouth. He could feel the warmth seep into his dirty skin and deep into his aching bones. Maybe following the little lemur won't such a bad idea.

He found the shampoo and soup the girl had left for him. Daryl worked the shampoo into a thick lather, dislodging the clumps of dried blood and dirt. Rinsing it out, he noticed how long his hair had gotten - he'd trim it soon.

Quickly, he soaked and lathered the wash cloth and scrubbed away the two weeks worth of grime and dirt he just couldn't get off with a chilling dip in the creek. When he stepped out of the shower, he felt the cleanest he had in weeks. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked to the room he was sharing with Carl, Rick, and T-Dog. The two bunk beds were ideal.

He put on the cleanest pair of jeans he had, which happened to be the one with the most holes, and a clean, sleeved flannel shirt. Rolling up the sleeves past his elbows, he looked around for something for his feet. Ayden had taken the groups muddy boots and promised they would be clean the next time they saw them.

Finding a pair of clean socks in his duffle, Daryl put them on and walked downstairs to the kitchen - the smell of the soup making his stomach clench in hunger. Monkey stood at the stove ladling soup into bowls, placing it on plates with two slices of bread.

She looked up at him when he entered and gave a soft smile. Daryl scowled and grumbled uncomfortable under his breath, making his way to the only open chair between Rick and Carol.

He watched as Monkey set a steaming bowl in front of Carl, ruffling his hair when the boy tried to thank her. She put bowls in front of everyone, shrugging off they gratitude uncomfortably. When she set the bowl in from of him, she accidently brushed against him causing him to stiffen roughly under her touch.

"Easy there, tough guy." She whispered when she noticed his ridged posture. "Didn't mean anything by it." He only relaxed when she walked to her seat at the head of the table, further away from him.

Ayden looked around at everyone at the table and at the small island. She and Rick sat at the heads of the table while Glen, Maggie and Hershel sat to her left. T-Dog, Carol, and Crossbow sat to her right. Luke was happily eating bites of noodles and chicken in the highchair beside her. Lori, Carl, Em, and Beth sat at the small island.

She could hear her younger sister talking animatedly with the new guest. Telling them all they had around the house to keep them entertained, it was good to have people close enough to her age, and a woman with some 'mom' experience.

She watched as everyone but Daryl tried, to use manners, but were failing miserably as the hunger made itself known. Hotshot either didn't have any or just couldn't care to use them.

As she slowly stirred her otherwise untouched soup - Daryl was sopping up the broth with his last piece of bread. She stood up and took his empty bowl and replaced it with hers.

"Don't need no more," He grumbled looking up at Ayden. "Go on, eat." She shook her head and walked to the sink, placing the dirty bowl in there.

"Y'all need it more. Just eat it Daryl, after yah get your fill - I'll get some." Why did he care if the bitch ate or not. It won't his problem if she starved. He pulled the plate closer and began on his second bowl of soup a lot slower than he had his first one.

It was hot and delicious – the broth eased the scratchiness in his throat the bits of chicken and carrots filled his stomach, the soft, hearty bread was prefect for sopping up the last remaining drips of grease and broth.

He watched as the young girl played hostess, filling bowls and glasses of water up with seconds. Talking quietly to each person as she waited on them – all except him, he felt a wave of jealously but quickly squashed it - knowing the distance was good for him. He didn't need to get attached to her and the brats like he had gone and done with the rest of their group of misfits.

True to her word, once everyone had had their fill, she fixed a small bowl of soup, cut a slice of bread, and sat down to eat her supper.

"Ayden, we can't thank you enough." Rick said humbly, sipping slowly on a glass of water. The young girl looked up from her soup and smiled sheepishly, uncomfortable with the constant gratitude.

Daryl took her in as Rick told her about what they had been through. She had taken off a few layers of the camouflage she had been wearing and sat at the table in a black wife beater and the camouflage pants she had been wearing.

She stood about 5'6 without her boots and had a strong build. She wasn't tiny, like Lori and Carol, but she wasn't big either – strong was a good word, Daryl decided. Her arms were toned, the tight shirt showed of a strong stomach. Not only did she have a strong build, she was very womanly – a girl her age shouldn't have the curves she did. Her tits were perky, bigger than the woman he had grown accustomed being around and her hips flared at the right spot.

She had dark brown hair and hazel, almost golden bedroom eyes. She was very pretty – her lips were full and a dark pink, her nose was – Daryl stopped, why would he care what she looked like. She obviously was strong and could provide, that was enough for him. He didn't need another dead weight to have to feed.

"I had just moved out here, gotten a job at the hospital and everything. I made my last trip home for a few things and my horses, picked Em up and came out here. Dempsey and I were gonna put her on a flight back to Raleigh in two days when it hit here." Ayden looked over to Em, who smiled sadly.

"I had just finished my shift when Dem called me, telling me about the infected and that I needed to get home, get Em, and get into the panic room. He knew it wasn't gonna stay contained."

"We stayed in there for about a week before I ventured out. Everything looked the same – I mean we are so isolated." She took a breath, gathering her thoughts. "I went into town and it was horrible. Dead walking around – I knew then there was nothing we could do but wait it out until someone or something worked it out."

"There is another family about twelve miles down the road – he was a dairy farmer and his wife loved to garden and can. He gives us milk, cheese, butter, and canned veggies. I give him meat. They are nice – tried to get them to move here but he has generators that run his house."

Luke started fussing, she looked at the clock – 10:00pm. It was past his bedtime. Luckily, Em had given him a bath before. Ayden walked over to the sink and grabbed a hand towel off of the counter and ran it under some warm water before, whipping his face to get rid of all the soup. She pulled up his shirt and whipped the greasy residue off his chest before situating him in her arms. She started to bounce him a bit, rocking him gently, murmuring soft coos.

Rick smiled on – this girl wasn't the boy's mother but she took to her role perfectly. She was young and had gone through tough times, taking on the role of mother to a teenage and a young toddler. Daryl had been right, it was amazing how Emily and Luke seemed almost untouched from this apocalypse but he see Ayden had been through hell to make it so.

She was tired – he could see it in her eyes, the dark circles were prominent. It also seemed like a weight was lifted from her shoulders when Carol asked if she could take Luke. Ayden nodded and handed the child over carefully. He fussed for a moment but was too tired to flight and slumped against the older woman.

Ayden sighed and sat down running a hand down her face. "I think Luke has the right idea – I know I am exhausted." She tried to smile but failed – she was either too physically tired, or too emotionally drained, Rick couldn't tell. She had helped them by giving them a room over their heads and food in their stomach but Rick could see that they were going to help her in the long term – mentally and emotionally. She'd have women to help her raise the two children and men to share the work load of everyday tasks.

Rick nodded to everyone and they gathered their stuff up and put it in the sink, like Ayden had ordered, and said their goodnights. Rick looked at Daryl who sat still in his seat, looking at Rick challenging him to say something. Rick shook his head and turned and left with the rest.

Daryl was happy for the peace and quiet. He listened as everyone got settled and doors closed. He leaned back in his chair and cherished the space, until Ayden came back. She looked at him for a moment before going to a cabinet by the sink. He heard a clink of ice hitting glass but couldn't see what the little monkey was doing.

She walked over to him and set a small tumbler down in front of him filled with an amber liquid. She smiled feebly and went to the sink and started to fill one side up with hot water and soap. Daryl smelled the glass first – alcohol. He took a tentative sip and grinned, Jack Daniels.

He was right – maybe following the monkey wasn't such a bad idea.


End file.
